Paddy Ashdown said he will revoke a ban on three former officials including Branka Dadic, who was removed several years ago for promoting Croat self-rule.

Bosnia's FENA news agency says the mediator also lifted a ban on political activities by Zeljko Trivan and Marina Deronjic, imposed for their obstruction of the implementation of Bosnia's property law.

The mediator has the power to remove officials for, among other things, obstructing attempts to bring war crimes suspects to the United Nations tribunal in The Hague.

Mr. Ashdown and his predecessors have removed more than 100 Bosnian officials in the past several years. He said in March he now finds it possible to consider what he called "a phased reversal."